There’s something fishy about Asher Blinkoff’s voicework in “Hotel Transylvania 2”

Jim Hill

9 years ago

When you’re 6 & a 1/2, almost 7 years-old, you view the
movie-making process differently than — say — your typical SAG-AFTRA member.

Take — for example — Asher Blinkoff. The talented tot
who’s providing the voice of Dracula’s grandson Dennis in Sony Pictures
Animation‘s “Hotel Transylvania 2.”

What excites Asher most about making movies? Is it walking
the red carpet with his fellow “HT2” cast members Adam Sandler,
Selena Gomez and Mel Brooks? Or getting the opportunity to work with Genndy
Tartakovsky on this eagerly anticipated follow-up to his 2012 film.

Nope. What Asher enjoyed most about working on “Hotel
Transylvania 2″ was pretty much what any 6 & a 1/2, almost 7 year-old
boy would enjoy about being at a real working movie studio. And that was
getting the chance to ride around the Lot in a golf
cart.

“That was honestly Asher’s favorite part of going to
work at Sony Pictures Animation. That after we’d driven onto the Lot
and parked our car, they’d come meet us with a golf cart. And he’d then get
driven over their onsite recording booth,” recalled Marion Blinkoff (i.e.,
Asher’s Mom) during a recent phone interview. “To hear my son talk, those
golf cart rides may have been the most memorable part of working on ‘Hotel T2.’
“

Which — to Marion’s
way of thinking — is perfectly fine. Given that Hollywood
is a town filled with these extremely driven people, it pleases her no end that
her son Asher can still enjoy the simpler things in life. Like being driven
around in a golf cart.

“My husband Saul and I have worked hard to foster that
kind of attitude in our kids. We don’t want being a success in this industry to
become their end-all and be-all. Because there are people who do get sucked
into that mindset. Become the sorts of stage parents who then push their kids into doing things that they really don’t
want to do,” Marion explained.
“Whereas Saul & I, we want our
children to enjoy the process. We want our kids to be creative. We like to
think that — by doing things like voice acting for projects like ‘Hotel Transylvania
2′ — that our children are literally finding their own voices and that they’re
becoming individuals.”

And Saul Blinkoff, he knows how challenging &
competitive the entertainment industry can be. For nearly two decades now, he’s
worked in animation. Saul started off working at Walt Disney Animation Studios
– Florida working on full-length
hand-drawn features like “Pocahontas,” “The Hunchback of Notre
Dame,” “Mulan” and “Tarzan.” After a brief stint at
MTV where Blinkoff co-directed “SpyGroove,” he then returned to the
Mouse House. Where Saul then helmed two Disney home premieres, “Winnie the
Pooh: Springtime for Roo” and “Kronk’s New Groove.” More
recently, Blinkoff directed the entire second season of Disney Junior’s hit series, “Doc
McStuffins.”

“And throughout all of this, my kids were auditioning
for voice overs. Especially our oldest, Meira. She did voice work for the first
‘Hotel Transylvania.’ She was one of the four kids that they brought in to
voice all of those werewolf puppies,” Saul stated. “From when she was
little, Meira always did great at voiceover. Commercials and stuff. And she
just love, love, LOVED it. And this part — I know you’re going to find hard to
believe — but my connection with the animation world had nothing to do with
them at all. I never made a call.”

“In fact, when I took Asher to his ‘Hotel Transylvania
2′ audition, even though Genndy Tartakovsky was there, I didn’t play my
‘I’m-an-animation-director-too’ card. I took him in there, and then I just sat
just there. As far as they knew, I was just another stage dad sitting on the
couch, waiting for my son to finish his audition. I have to admit that — the
first couple of times I was in there — it was difficult for me. Largely
because I wanted to get in there and direct Asher because I’m a director. But I
deliberately held back and let Genndy do his job. And he did get a great vocal
performance out of my son.”

Tartakovsky confirmed that the Blinkoff boy was a great fit
for Dracula’s grandson. “Dennis is playful and fun, but because he’s
getting pulled by everybody, he’s also a bit timid,” Genndy said.” Asher
has such a nice charm to his voice that it brought an instant personality to
his character.”

Asher Blinkoff in the booth recording Dennis’ dialogue for “Hotel Transylvania 2.”
Copyright Sony Pictures Animation. All rights reserved

And why did Tartakovsky opt to cast Asher as the voice of
Dennis, Dracula’s half-human / half-vampire grandson? Basically because
Blinkoff — unlike so many child actors working in Hollywood today — still
actually sounded like an authentic 6 & a half, almost 7 year-old boy.

“And Genndy was so patient with Asher. I mean, you have
to understand that Asher booked this job before he knew how to read. So while
Saul would prep our son the night before each recording session — they’d go
into one of the bedrooms here at the house, close the door and go over each of
the script pages that the Studio had sent us — it was Genndy who actually got
that great performance out of Asher,” Marion
remembered. “Genndy knew exactly what to do to make Asher comfortable and
then get him the proper mindset for Dennis. Genndy knew exactly what to do
& say to make a six year-old boy sound happy or excited or sad. He and
Asher had this great working relationship.”

The Blinkoffs were also quick to praise Sony Pictures
Animation. Who were more than willing to work around Asher’s pre-school
schedule so that he’d then be available to come in and record Dennis’ dialogue.

“We never once had to pull him out of school in order
to work on this movie. Luckily most of ‘Hotel T2’ was recorded last year during
the summer months. So that didn’t really conflict with Asher’s school schedule.
But then came the Fall and he’d have to come in to record pick-up lines. But
Sony was extremely accommodating. Given that Asher had a shorter school day on Fridays,
that’s when they’d schedule all of his pick-up recording sessions for,” Marion
said. “It was on those Friday afternoons that we’d drive onto the Sony Lot
and then be met by that golf cart that Asher so enjoyed riding in.”

And speaking of vehicles … Given that there are bus signs
& billboards promoting “Hotel Transylvania 2” all over town that
prominently feature Dennis (i.e., the character that Asher voices in this
upcoming Sony Pictures Animation release), how is the Blinkoff’s boy dealing
with this sudden taste of fame?

“I have to admit that he’s pretty excited that the
character he’s been voicing is so prominently featured in the trailer and on
the ‘Hotel Transylvania 2’ poster. But then again, Asher just started first
grade. And he’s pretty excited about that too. So all and all, he’s a pretty
typical six year-old boy,” Marion
laughed.

That said, Asher is a very busy six year-old. On the heels
of his highly praised vocal performance in “Hotel T2,” he’s now
voicing a character in Jon Favreau’s live-action / CG version of “The
Jungle Book” for Disney. Asher’s also working on “Lunch” for
Illumination Entertainment where he’ll be voicing a pig.

Now any other kid working in Hollywood
on high profile projects like that would be thrilled. But not Asher Blinkoff.
To be honest, what excites Marion & Saul’s children is what comes BEFORE
work on these newly booked productions begins.

“You have to understand that we have this family
tradition. Anytime one of our kids books
something, the Blinkoffs as a family go out for a sushi dinner,” Saul
said. “That — to be honest — is why Meira & Asher get so excited
whenever they book work on something like ‘Hotel Transylvania 2.’ It’s not
their character being-seen-on-the-poster or being-heard-in-the-trailer that
appeals to them. It’s — rather — that they’re going to get to eat sushi again
that really, really excites them.”

A six year-old boy who actually likes eating raw fish? That
sounds a trifle fishy to me. But then I recall Asher’s fondness for riding around
in golf carts. And then I have no doubt that the Blinkoff’s boy really is 6
& a 1/2, almost 7.

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post’s Entertainment page on September 9, 2015